Selby's population expanded in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. At the same time there were changes in marriage, work life and religion.
The population passed 83,000
In the decade to 2011, the population of Selby increased by 9.1%, from almost 76,500 to 83,400.
The addition of almost 7,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).
In 2011, Selby was home to, on average, 0.99 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.
Population density was lower than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber
Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Yorkshire and The Humber, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)
- Rest of Yorkshire and The Humber
- Selby
- Average across England
An older Selby
Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.
Between the last two censuses, the median age of Selby increased by three years, from 39 to 42 years.
This rural area had a higher average age than Yorkshire and The Humber and remained somewhat older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).
The rise in age was because of an increase of about 3,400 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 2,000.
About 13% of people in Selby are aged between 60 and 69 years
Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Selby by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
More single people in Selby
The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Selby, but at a slower rate than in Doncaster (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Selby).
In Selby, the proportion of single people increased from 23% in 2001 to 27% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Doncaster increased from 26% to 32%.
Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 29% to 34%.
The proportion of married people in Selby fell from 60% to 56%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 9.8% to 11%.
The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across Yorkshire and The Humber
Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011
- Rest of Yorkshire and The Humber
- Selby
- Average across England
Fewer people worked long hours
The percentage of employed people in Selby working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 16% to 12% between the last two censuses.
The percentage who said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week remained close to 1.6%.
The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 13% in 2001 to 9.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13% to 10%.
Long hour working in Selby decreased by 3.9 percentage points
Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Selby, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Religion in Selby
The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, 23% said they had no religion. An increase from 12% in 2001 makes this the fastest-growing religious group in Selby.
The percentage increased by less than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber (from 14% to 26%), but at a similar rate to the average across England (from 15% to 25%).
The number of people in Selby that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 62,000 in 2001 to about 59,000 in 2011 (from 81% to 71%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 5,500 to just under 5,600. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 7.2% to 6.7%.
Just under 210 people (0.2%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from about 120 in 2001 (0.3%).
The population without a religion in Selby increased by 10 percentage points
Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Selby by religion, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Disability in Selby
The percentage of Selby residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 7.0% to 7.2% between the last two censuses.
The percentage who reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities remained close to 2.8%, while the percentage of Selby residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 90% to 89%.
The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 7.0% in 2001 to 6.5% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 6.8% to 6.5%.
The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber
Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Ethnicity in Selby
In 2011, 98% of the local population said they were from the White ethnic groups. An increase from 99% in 2001 makes this the fastest-growing ethnic group in Selby.
The percentage decreased by less than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber (from 93% to 89%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).
The number of people in Selby from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from about 210 in 2001 to about 630 in 2011 (from 0.3% to 0.8%). The number of residents from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just under 220 to just over 490 (from 0.3% to 0.6%).
About 210 people (0.1%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from about 46 in 2001 (0.3%).
The population from the White ethnic groups in Selby remained close to 98%
Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Selby by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Rise in private renting
The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Selby, but at a slower rate than across Yorkshire and The Humber.
In Selby, the proportion of private renting increased from 5.8% in 2001 to 11% in 2011. During the same period, the regional proportion increased from 9.1% to 16%.
Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the share of privately rented homes increased from 9.1% to 16%.
The rate of social housing in Selby fell from 13% to 12%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 78% to 75%.
Private renting in Selby increased by 5.2 percentage points
Percentage of households in Selby, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Health improved
The percentage of Selby residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 8.0% to 4.6% between the last two censuses.
Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.
In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (83%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 71% in 2001. The percentage of Selby residents that described their health as fair decreased from 22% to 13%.
The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 10% in 2001 to 6.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.
These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.
The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Selby decreased by 3.4 percentage points
Percentage of usual residents in Selby, Yorkshire and The Humber and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
More homes without children
The percentage of households without children increased in Selby at a faster rate than across England.
In Selby, the proportion of households without children increased from 58% in 2001 to 60% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 61% to 61%.
Across Yorkshire and The Humber, the share of households without children increased from 61% to 62%.
The proportion of households with children in Selby fell from 32% to 29%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents remained close to 10%.
The proportion of households without children was lower than across Yorkshire and The Humber
Percentage of households without children across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011
- Rest of Yorkshire and The Humber
- Selby
- Average across England
More people cohabiting
The percentage of households in Selby, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 8.6% to 11% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.
In 2011, just under one in four (25%) households had only one person, compared with 24% in 2001. The percentage of households in Selby which comprised a married couple (with or without children) decreased from 47% to 42%.
The proportion of households with an unmarried couple increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 8.7% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 8.3% to 9.9%.
The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Selby increased by 2.3 percentage points
Percentage of households in Selby, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Changing work life
The percentage of Selby residents that were self-employed increased from 9.3% to 10% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.
In 2011, just under 6 in 10 (58%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 57% in 2001. The percentage of Selby residents that were unemployed increased from 2.5% to 3.5%.
The proportion of self-employed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 7.2% in 2001 to 8.4% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 8.2% to 9.7%.
The rate of self-employment was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber
Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 that said they were self-employed across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011
- Rest of Yorkshire and The Humber
- Selby
- Average across England
Change in unpaid care provision
The percentage of Selby residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 1.8% to 2.1% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.
The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.0%.
The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 2.3% in 2001 to 2.6% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 2.1% to 2.4%.
The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Selby remained close to 2.1%
Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Selby by care, March 2001 and March 2011
- 2001
- 2011
Area report data
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